Compare towns
Auburn vs Gray vs New Gloucester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Auburn has the most renters (40.9% rent).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
New Gloucester has the most people working from home (14.2%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Auburn | Gray | New Gloucester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 24,602Highest |
8,429 |
5,766Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.4% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.4±2.7 8% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
| Gray and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.4%±2.3 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.8%±2Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Auburn and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Auburn and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,647±$5kLowest 11% below ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $282,000±$12kLowest 5% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
| Gray and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,041±$74Lowest 9% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,150±$249 about the ME average |
| Gray and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,687Highest 21% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,417Lowest 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.4%±7.4 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
82.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 12% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.5%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| New Gloucester and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #110 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #65 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Auburn Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 15/MSAD 15 |
| High school in town | Edward Little High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.1Highest |
12.5Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.